The first law enforcement officer to arrive at the seen of a 2022 Greene County double murder was the brother and great uncle of the victims.
And it was longtime Greene County deputy Rick Williams, unsuccessfully fighting back tears, explaining to attorneys Monday “I know death when I see it” after he found the lifeless bodies of 59 year old Sherry Cole and 7 year old Jesse Allen outside their Old Snapps Ferry Road home in Limestone on April 24, 2022. It was then that Williams called 9-1-1 to request emergency assistance at the scene
Williams was about to retire for the evening that evening when he received a call from his mother saying Bill Cole, the husband of Sherry Cole, could not find her or the boys, Jordan and Jesse. After going to his mother’s home initially , Williams and his wife, thinking the three might have been involved in a wreck, began searching for them, a search when led them to the home at 7140 Old Snapps Ferry Road. After a brief confrontation with one of two men carrying a gun as Williams arrived, 9-1-1 confirmed to that man that Williams was indeed a law enforcement officer, at which time Williams was told there were two bodies behind the house and Jordan Allen was inside his vehicle. Williams then made the discovery of the two, lying face down and side by side. It was then that Williams notified everyone to stay where they were as the site was now a “crime scene”.
During his testimony , the 9-1-1 call after the bodies were discovered was played in court. Later graphic video and pictures of the scene were entered into evidence during testimony by a member of the TBI Violent Crime Response team, who arrived during the overnight hours to beginning processing the scene.
EARLY MONDAY RECAP
Testimony began Monday afternoon in the double murder trial of Jordan Michael Allen.
Allen is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his seven-year-old brother, Jesse Allen, and 59-year-old grandmother, Sherry Cole.
It was just over four years ago, April 24th, 2022, when the two were found dead outside the Old Snapps Ferry Road residence where they lived. The two sustained blunt force injuries to their heads and blunt sharp injuries to their necks.
Jordan Allen, who was 16 at the time, was at the scene when authorities arrived and was taken into custody a few hours later. His grandfather Bill was also questioned but later cleared of any involvement, although the defense through opening statements from Assistant Public Defender Ally Richey, apparently plans to say not only was he involved, but he was the one who actually committed the murders. The defense also plans to call an expert on false confessions related to statements the defendant is said to have made. The defense is also questioning how deeply TBI looked into determining Bill Cole as a possible suspect, and their process for testing and evaluating some of the evidence.
Originally held as a juvenile, Jordan’s case was transferred to criminal court later that year, and he was indicted on the murder charges in January of 2023.
Judge John F. Dugger, Jr. is presiding over the case, being prosecuted by Richie Collins and Cecil Mills. Public Defender Todd Estep, along with Richey, are representing the defendant.
If convicted of the murders, the state will be asking for life without the possibility of parole for Jordan Allen.
The trial, Judge Dugger said Monday, is probably going to last several days, but could not say this early in the proceedings how many days that might be for sure.
Following jury selection in which 8 men and 4 women were seated just before Noon, three hours after that process began, the charging of the jury and swearing in of potential witnesses followed the lunch break.
Opening statements were followed by the beginning of testimony in the case in which there are around 500 pieces of evidence.
Allen, dressed in street clothes during the trial, remains held in the Greene County Detention Center on $2 million bond.
Radio Greeneville News will be back in the courtroom when testimony resumes this morning at 9.
